


Cheap

by Soleya



Category: Stargate SG-1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-09-03
Updated: 2009-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:08:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29426484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soleya/pseuds/Soleya
Summary: When Carter is kidnapped by a human trafficking ring, SG-1 struggles to get her back.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm migrating some older works over here from FF.net. This one is... OLD. Sometimes I think about completely scrapping it and redoing it, but I have a policy against touching things once they're posted. So if you hate it... blame the me of 2009?

“Y’know, I kind of like this place, Teal’c,” Jack ventured, munching on the fruit he’d just bought. “And I kind of like this idea. No Gate, no Goa’uld.”

“Indeed,” came the stoic reply, as usual. The men made their way through the bustling city market in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the wares and the shouting townspeople. It reminded Jack vaguely of the Middle East, but not in a bothersome way. Open-air markets had always been a favorite of his.

Prometheus was slowly making its way back from Atlantis, but this trip they were taking the time to explore some of the planets they passed that didn’t have Stargates and so wouldn’t be part of the schedule at the SGC. Though it was going to make the trip interminably longer, the various cultures and planets they’d seen was breaking it up a bit, at least.

Every planet, of course, meant more reports and mounds of paperwork, but Daniel and Carter were doing most of that to keep Jack happy. Besides, Jack didn’t know quite what they were supposed to be looking for – anything that meant anything to Earth was likely to be discovered by one of the scientists, anyway. Fallen-down monuments, futuristic technology…. Kids in a candy store, those two.

Not that they’d found anything useful. At least, not that Jack considered useful. Not yet. But what did he know?

“You should really try one of these, Teal’c. It’s like… a mango-peachy flavored apple,” he mumbled past a mouthful of the fruit.

“I believe I would prefer apples as they are, O’Neill.”

“Oh, come on, Teal’c. Where’s your sense of adventure?”

As if on cue, two familiar gunshots sounded in the market. Jack immediately dropped his snack and the two men took off like rockets in the direction of the sound. “Daniel, Carter, what the hell was that?” he yelled into his radio.

When he got no answer, the two sped up, weaving and cutting through booths. Each minute that passed made Jack’s heart pound harder, and it wasn’t just the running.

“Daniel, Carter, talk to me! What’s going on?” he demanded. “Daniel!”

The men stopped short as the open-air market gave way to tall buildings. “I’ll take this way,” Jack indicated, and the two quickly separated, their weapons at the ready.

“Jack.”

Daniel’s voice sounded weak, disoriented, through the radio.

“Daniel, what happened?”

“Jack… they took her, Jack. They took Sam.”

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

It didn’t take them long after that to find Daniel crumpled in an alley just off the market, surrounded by onlookers. Another man lay near him, bleeding badly. Daniel was trying to stand, but the blood running from one ear was a visible cue of the head trauma he’d received. Teal’c gently hoisted the man to his feet.

“Who took her, Daniel? What happened?”

“I… we… were walking, and this group walked past us, and they just… God, I can’t believe it…”

Jack grabbed the man by his chin and held Daniel’s eyes level with his own. “Daniel, I need you to concentrate. How many men? What did they do?”

“There were… five or six, I think. One of them just walked past and stuck a needle in her arm, like… like it was nothing, and she… she just collapsed. I tried to… I mean, I got one… but when I woke up, she was gone. Oh, God, Jack,” he gasped.

Leaving Daniel with Teal’c, the colonel rolled the other man to his back and slapped his cheeks, trying to wake him, but he was too late. The man was gone.

“Prometheus, this is SG leader,” he barked into his radio. “I need a location on Carter. Now!”

“Sir, she appears to be just over a klick east-south-east of you, moving away on that bearing,” a young voice responded.

“Can you get her out of there?” he asked, already moving in that direction. Daniel and Teal’c were following at a slower pace, the younger man leaning heavily on his teammate.

“No, sir, we can’t seem to get a solid lock on her.”

Of course not, Jack thought. Asgard technology really only worked when you didn’t need it. “Teal’c and I are going after her. Get Daniel back up to the ship; he’s injured.”

“Yes, sir.”

Within moments, light enveloped the doctor and he disappeared. Teal’c quickly caught up with O’Neill, and the two hurried in the direction indicated by the ship. “We oughta be able to outpace them, if she’s unconscious.”

“Indeed. Though by Daniel Jackson’s description, O’Neill, it would seem that this is not their first abduction.”

“I know, Teal’c. That’s what worries me.”

“Colonel O’Neill, Major Carter has stopped at one-point-four klicks east-south-east of you, sir. It seems to be a building of some sort.”

“Acknowledged, Prometheus. Keep us updated.”

Damn, Jack wished he was ten years younger as he ran, pushing himself to keep up with the Jaffa’s pace. A seven-minute mile didn’t seem nearly fast enough with Carter taken and unconscious.

“Colonel O’Neill,” the young voice said through the radio again, “She just… disappeared.”

“What?” he gasped, still running.

“We’re not sure, sir, but all signs of her just vanished off our screens. She’s gone.”

“Get us to her last known location, Sergeant,” Jack ordered.

“You’re getting close, sir. Point three clicks south of you, sir.”

A block and a half. He could make that, he thought as he and Teal’c rounded a quick corner and found themselves just outside what seemed to be a warehouse.

“You should be standing right in front of it, sir,” the man coached.

“Yeah, I know.” He looked at Teal’c. “We have no idea how many guys are in there. This is a bad idea.”

“Indeed, O’Neill. I will take point.”

With no further discussion, the Jaffa stepped in the door, Jack on his heels. There were seven men scattered around the warehouse, and, of course, they all dove for weapons. Several zat blasts later, Jack announced, “Okay, weapons down, hands up!” and the men blissfully followed orders.

Smart guys, Jack thought.

Several minutes later, when the men were all lined up against a wall, Jack started in on the serious questions. “You all wanna tell me who’s in charge here?”

They were silent.

“Okay, then tell me about the woman that was just brought in. Where is she?” When no one answered, Jack’s temper started to flare. “Somebody’s gonna say something, or somebody’s gonna get hurt,” he threatened.

Still no one answered, and Jack pulled out his knife. “Fingers, Teal’c?” he asked gravelly.

“I would recommend ears, O’Neill. I believe a Tau’ri can hear quite well with only one.”

Jack made a face. “Yeah, but the ears are less scary because you can’t see the blood.”

Teal’c cocked his head for a moment, examining that thought. “Perhaps you are right, O’Neill.”

“Fingers it is, then.” The colonel headed straight for the youngest and most scared of the group. “All I want to know is who’s in charge,” he said softly.

“He is!” The boy pointed to an older man at the other end of the line.

“Coward!” the man spat. “You will never work in this solar system again!”

“Don’t worry,” Jack reassured the boy, “neither will he. Now, you all are gonna sit here nice and easy while we leave. Anyone who goes for a weapon will be shot – and not stunned this time. Clear?”

The men nodded, and Teal’c dragged their leader outside the warehouse.

“Prometheus, this is SG leader. Take us up,” Jack ordered.

“We can’t, sir,” the sergeant responded. “Whatever’s near you, we can’t get a lock.”

The man sneered.

Jack and Teal’c dragged him two blocks from the warehouse and tried again, but to no avail. “Okay,” Jack said finally. “Strip.”

“What?” the man demanded incredulously.

“You heard me. Take your clothes off.”

“I will not!”

Jack pulled his knife out again and placed it at the neckline of the man’s shirt. “I’ll do it for you,” he offered politely. The man immediately stripped to his boxers, and Jack threw the clothes into another ally. As soon as he stepped back toward Teal’c, he felt the light envelop him…

And he reassembled on the bridge of Prometheus.

“Where’s my daughter, Jack.” It wasn’t really a question.

Crap. Jack had forgotten for a moment that Jacob had joined them this trip. Great.

“Dunno yet,” he answered. “But this guy does.”

Jacob nodded and stepped up to the nearly naked man. “Where’s my daughter?” he asked.

The man laughed in his face.

Not to be outdone, the older Carter grabbed the man by his throat, his eyes flashing as Selmak repeated in a much lower, more threatening voice, “Where is my daughter?”

Jack thought the guy’s eyes were about to bug out of his head as he realized that Jacob was not your ordinary human. “She’s… she’s gone,” he stammered. “I sold her.”

“You WHAT?”

It took Teal’c to pull the old man away before he did serious damage.

“Sold her to whom? And for what purpose?” Colonel Pendergast, commander of the Prometheus, spoke up.

The man snickered. “Your friend is taking up a new career. Or, should I say, an old one. The oldest profession in the galaxy.”

  
  


~/~

  
  


Sam woke to a low moan – which, she realized as she slowly came to, had been her own. She was face down on a stone floor, and she was freezing. Her jacket, as well as all her weapons, had been removed, leaving her in only a thin tee shirt, and that wasn’t doing much.

Her neck ached from her position on the floor, and she groaned as she pushed herself to sitting and looked around. The room was small, stone, no furnishings – a cell. Underground, too, she thought, by the look of the tiny, high windows. It was dark outside. What was this place?

Carter gradually became aware of the throbbing in her arm, and she yanked up her sleeve to take a look. A small red lump had formed in the a few inches below her shoulder. A bite? An injection? She couldn’t seem to remember. Last she knew, she had been looking at fine printed silks in a market with Daniel.

There was a window in the door, and Sam went to it, hoping for a clue. It was dim, but there seemed to be several rooms like her owns along a hallway.

Suddenly, a man came storming down the set of stairs at one end, yanking a young woman behind him. She was wearing almost nothing, her hair disheveled, as though she had been dragged straight out of bed. He slammed the girl into one of the doors, holding her back by her neck. “You may be one of my best, but that was unacceptable!” he yelled in her face.

“He hurt me. You promised not to send me the rough guys,” she gasped, tears streaming down her face.

“He paid good money for you and I don’t give a damn what he did. You know the consequences.”

That sounded bad. Sam was starting to get the feeling she knew exactly what this place was, and she didn’t like it at all.

“No, please,” the girl begged as he opened the door and shoved her through. “Sileem! I’m sorry!”

She ran for him, but he raised some sort of stick and jabbed her with it. Her body contorted, as if shocked, and she fell to the floor. He locked the door behind her.

As he turned to leave, he caught sight of Sam staring through the doorway and headed for her. She backpedaled swiftly as he entered and flashed her a smile. “It’s good to see you’re awake. I’m Sileem,” he said graciously.

She already knew he was not the nice man he was trying to seem. “I was taken against my will,” she said sternly, “I think.” She really wished she could remember how she got there. “I want to see my team.”

He shrugged. “I do not know of any team. You came to me alone.”

“Where am I?”

“Your new home,” he said simply.

“Oh, I don’t think so. Release me.”

“What spirit!” he said with a smile. “My clients will enjoy you.”

“Not a chance.”

The smile disappeared, and the man’s face went disturbingly cold. “You seem to think you have a choice,” he growled, “but I’m afraid that is not the case. You will do as you’re told.”

Sam shook her head, jaw clenched. He reached for her, but she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him, shoving his face hard into the wall. She was out the door like a shot, rounding the corner and halfway up the steps when she heard his voice.

“Grab her!”

Two men appeared as she hit the top of the stairs, each one grabbing an arm. She struggled, kicking valiantly, but she couldn’t make them let go. They dragged her back down the steps and into the room where Sileem still stood. “Tie her up,” he ordered.

They shoved her against the back wall and clamped her wrists in chains high above her head, her toes just barely touching the floor. The guards left, leaving her alone with Sileem. “Are you feeling more cooperative now?” he asked, approaching her.

In response, she let her full body weight rest in the chains and swung both feet up to kick him squarely in the stomach. “No,” she spat.

He hit the floor but quickly recovered, grabbing the weapon he’d used on the other girl on the way to his feet. When she tried to kick again, he tapped her leg with it, and she snapped it back as all the muscles tensed and pain shot through her body. He moved in closer and jabbed it into her ribs, causing pain to explode through her torso and her vision to black.

When she opened her eyes, he was pressed up against her, his breath hot against her face. “You should not bite the hand that feeds you,” he threatened, “or there will be no food at all. Things can get much, much worse.”

Abruptly, he moved to leave the room, stopping at the door with the same gracious smile he’d entered with. “You will learn your place,” he said. “You are not the first woman I’ve broken. Besides, some men like the fight.”

With a laugh, he was gone.

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Carter was beginning to understand just how crappy death by crucifixion really was. With most of her weight hanging by her arms, it was getting harder and harder to breathe. She was pushing herself up by her toes as much as possible, but the lack of air was making her weak and, in turn, making it harder to lift herself. It was a vicious, vicious cycle, she thought, and it sucked royally.

To make things worse, though the night had passed and the sun was rising, it was freezing in that cell. Being chained up against a stone wall wasn’t helping. And only because she was pretty sure she was more valuable to him alive than dead did she think she wouldn’t die that way. But she couldn’t be sure of that, as she was quickly losing the ability to move her toes.

Just as her vision was starting to blur, a figure came through the door.

“How are you feeling this morning?” It was Sileem’s voice. Great. When she didn’t – couldn’t – respond, he stepped up beside her and released her arms. She fell to the ground like a rag doll. It hurt, but at least she could breathe again.

“I asked you a question,” he murmured, kneeling down close to her.

“That… wasn’t nice,” she gasped.

He grabbed her arm and stuck a needle in it quickly, drawing a vial of blood.

“Wha…?”

“I have a responsibility to make sure you’re healthy, you know,” he explained. “I run a reputable business here. It wouldn’t do well to pass diseases to my clients.”

Sam really, really wanted to throw up.

  
  


~/~

  
  


It had taken nearly a full day for them to extract a name and location from the man they’d captured in the warehouse. While they’d played as nice as legally required, they had threatened the man with a fairly dismal future. Jacob’s flashing eyes hadn’t hurt, either.

Several Gateless planets in the system had their own type of transporter devices – platforms like ring platforms that could go from planet to planet. Rather than arouse suspicion by putting a ship like Prometheus in orbit over the planet that held Sam, they planned to send Jack through the transporter. Prometheus would arrive after Jack was already in place.

“Okay, Trin,” Jacob said to the man, “Now that we’ve found her, how do we get her out?”

Trin laughed. “I don’t think you understand. Sileem runs a fortress. There is no out, only in.”

“Then how do we get in?”

The man shrugged his shoulders.

Jack stepped in, perching on the table. “Money.”

“What?” Jacob asked.

“Sileem runs a… a whorehouse, right? We get in with money.”

“You don’t mince words, do you, Jack?” Jacob told him angrily. “And where do you plan to get that much local currency?”

Jack turned to Trin and shot him a grin. “Him. Unless I miss my guess, he got a pretty good chunk of change for selling Carter. And we’re gonna use it to buy her back.”

Trin bristled. “I will be no part of this.”

“Sure you will!” Jack told him cordially. “Or remember what we told you about prisoner of war camps? The Goa’uld? I’d be more than happy to put a snake in your head and make you do it.” They hadn’t exactly told him the whole truth about the Goa’uld. Or anything else, for that matter. To get Carter back, they’d terrified the man as much as possible.

“That would take time,” he sneered.

“Not at all. In fact, I’m sure Selmak would be more than willing to help.”

Jacob’s eyes flashed as Selmak jumped in. “Indeed. It is, after all, Jacob Carter’s daughter. Trin, I will need you to turn around.”

“No.” He clearly started to panic as Jack grabbed him and shoved him face first into the wall. “No! No! I’ll do it!”

The colonel slammed him back down into the chair. “Now, this is how it’s going to work. Have you gotten your cash yet?”

“No. He pays me at the end of the month.”

“Good. You’re gonna tell you him you need a little advance.”

  
  


~/~

  
  


“Jack, there is no way in hell I’m letting you do this. I’m going,” Jacob insisted, tearing down the hallway after the colonel.

“And I told you, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you. Discussion over, Jacob.”

“Don’t you even try to pull rank on me, Colonel O’Neill,” the older man – and former general – spat.

Jack whirled around to face him. “Listen to me, Jacob. You cannot go down there. If she’s hurt, you know as well as I do that you’ll lose your temper and it’ll all be over.”

“And we’ll beam her out of there and that will be that!”

“And if we can’t? We know they have some sort of blocking technology already!”

Jacob let out a sigh, his face drawn. “Jack, she’s my daughter.”

“I know that, Jacob,” he said softly. “And that’s exactly why you can’t do this.”

“Then send someone else. If you don’t think I can handle it, I…”

“You what, Jacob?”

“I don’t want you with her,” he said through clenched teeth. “Not like that.”

Jack took a deep breath. “I’m gonna pretend you meant that in the best possible way, Jacob, and not that you don’t trust me.”

“It’s not that, Jack, I just…”

“Who would you have me send, Jacob? They might have seen Daniel’s face. Teal’c can’t lie worth a damn. I should send Pendergast? Or some idiot Airman?” He scrubbed a hand across his face. “Look, I get that you don’t really want me to see her… how she might be. I don’t wanna see that, either. But you don’t really want to send some random guy after her, do you? Give me a better choice!”

“I don’t… have one,” the man mumbled.

“Then we’re wasting time, Jacob. The sooner I’m on that planet, the sooner I can find her and bring her home.”

  
  


~/~

  
  


Carter scrambled to her feet as Sileem entered her cell. “Congratulations,” he announced, “you passed.”

That wasn’t actually a good thing, but she didn’t answer.

“So this could be a big night for you.”

Carter smirked. “And here I thought your business depended on repeat clients. You can bet they won’t be back if they’re dead.”

“Oh, I have my ways. It all depends on the evening’s clientele, I suppose.”

She bit her cheek.

“So do you intend to cooperate, or do I have to force you?”

“You have to ask?”

“That’s rather what I thought.” He pulled the stick weapon from the back of his belt and approached her. Unfortunately, Sam was concentrating so much on the weapon that she didn’t see the needle in his other hand until he had buried it in her arm. Her mouth fell open as she collapsed at his feet.

And then, just because he could, he jabbed her with the weapon anyway.

  
  


~/~

  
  


Jack sat confidently across from the man named Sileem, looking rich and powerful in his dress blues. Having already waved a massive bag of coin in front of his face, Sileem was ready to give him anything he wanted.

“I’m a very picky man, Mr. Sileem.”

“Of course, Colonel O’Neill. I assure you that I have the widest selection of options.”

“So I’ve heard. But I’m here not just for the girls. They tell me that you run a clean, decent place. That’s important to me.”

“They are most correct, Colonel,” Sileem gushed.

“I’m glad. I’ll be here for nearly a week, and I’d like to be sure that the woman is mine and mine alone while I’m here.” The term ‘sloppy seconds’ came to mind, and it made Jack mildly nauseous.

“Of course, Colonel O’Neill. My reputation is very important to me.”

“Good.”

“Please, tell me what you’re looking for.”

“All right.” He pretended to think for a minute. “Blonde. Tall. Thin. But most importantly, strong. I like a challenge. I don’t want some broken-down woman who’s been doing this for years.”

The man across the table gave him a wicked smile. “I believe I have exactly what you’re looking for.”

After finishing up the details, Sileem led him down a long hallway and stopped in front of a heavy wooden door. “If you have any problems, Colonel, please come to me. Otherwise, enjoy your stay.”

Jack dismissed him with a nod, but hesitated at the door, unsure what he would find behind it. Taking a deep breath, he turned the knob, stepped inside and quickly yanked it closed behind him. He stopped, breathless.

She was… stunning. Pale, creamy legs up to heaven – and by heaven, he meant the most incredible blue lingerie he’d ever seen. It set off the fire in her eyes in the most stunning, arousing way.

Of course, there was the fact that she was tied to the bed and clearly scared to death to mitigate the whole arousal thing.

Or the bigger problem.

She wasn’t Carter.

And he was stuck.

Crap.


	4. Chapter 4

Carter came back to awareness slowly, her body still aching from the earlier assault. At least, she thought, she was no longer on that cold, hard floor.

But further thought didn’t yield anything else – at least, nothing good. The soft surface she was laying on seemed to be a bed – that was bad. Worse, her hands were tightly locked above her head, so low to the mattress that she could hardly move her upper body. And she was cold – she was clearly no longer wearing her BDUs, but something much skimpier and… silky?

No, this was not good at all. Compounded with the fact that she was both gagged and blindfolded, she struggled with the only conclusion she could seem to find – that life was about to get a lot worse.

At least she seemed to be alone, she thought, and immediately started trying to free herself, rubbing her arm against the side of her face in an attempt to pull off the blindfold. She couldn’t manage to touch the locking mechanism to try to break it, and the bars of the headboard seemed pretty solid, but she’d be damned if she wouldn’t at least try.

  
  


~/~

  
  


Hours later, her wrists bruised and mangled but nothing accomplished, a soft click brought Carter to a complete halt.

“Right through here,” Sileem said in his most gracious voice. “I believe I have exactly what you’re looking for.”

Every muscle in Sam’s body tensed. She took a deep breath and channeled every second of military training she’d ever had, preparing herself for the next few minutes.

She was hyper-aware, her other senses kicking into high gear with her loss of sight. Footsteps sounded again, then another click, then a set of footsteps headed away. But there was a presence here still here; she could feel it.

What was he doing, just standing there? And why did her heart have to beat so loudly?

Something hit the floor. A foot fell, then another. She was lying on the left side of a large bed, she knew, and the man was swiftly approaching to her left. He said something, but she blocked it out, listening instead to the sounds and echoes in the room. He was getting closer… closer…

Sam lashed out violently, swinging her right leg across herself and into the room. The solid contact and ensuing grunt of pain did nothing to ease her panic – this man was big, and sturdy. She kept kicking, trying to drive him back and away, but a hand soon grabbed and twisted one ankle, rendering that leg useless. However skilled she was, he was better – and he’d already had the upper hand. She screamed into her gag a moment later as his weight covered her lower body, completely preventing further attacks.

_No, no, no, no….._

Panicked tears streamed into her blindfold as she struggled in vain, trying desperately to wrench her arms free, to rid herself of her attacker. Blood dripped down her hands as she yanked again and again at the metal restraints.

The weight moved up her torso and settled fully on top of her, a hand coming up to grab her arms and stop her struggles.

With the other hand, her attacker tore off the blindfold.

Jack.

For the first time, his voice came into focus. “Carter!” he yelled, mere inches from her face. “Stop!”

Flooded with relief, Sam sank obediently into the bed.

“For cryin’ out loud, Carter, didn’t you hear me talking to you?” he asked, annoyed, as he slid off the side of the bed and pulled the access card he’d been given from his pocket to release her hands. “That first kick really-“

He stopped short as Sam’s hands came free and, in one fluid motion, she sat up, yanked out the gag, and wrapped her arms as tightly as possible around his waist. He watched her for a moment, shoulders shaking, chest heaving, and realized for the first time how terrified she must have been. It made him wonder – again – what had happened to her in the time it had taken him to find her.

“It’s okay, Carter,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around her. “Everything’s gonna be okay now.”

“I thought…” she gasped, then suddenly pulled back and punched him hard in the chest. “You scared the crap out of me, sir!”

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the outburst. Classic, classic Carter.

  
  


~/~

  
  


Nearly half an hour passed before Carter calmed enough to start asking questions. The amount of blood from her hands had surprised her a bit, and the colonel had gently cleaned the wounds and wrapped them in towel strips from the attached bathroom.

Unfortunately, Sam caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror of said bathroom… and wasn’t particularly happy about the scrappy red lingerie she was wearing. The top wasn’t indecent, Jack supposed, though it sure knew how to lift and separate, but the skirt was… well, it was kind of the skirt that wasn’t. It was no more than a few inches long, and even with Carter standing, it didn’t really hide the lacy underwear. With her laying down… well, that was why he’d stood in the doorway for so long.

Jack sure didn’t mind, but Carter had promptly run to the bed and covered her lower half with the sheet. Damn.

“Sir… why aren’t we leaving?” she finally asked. “I mean, beam me up, Scotty. Any time.”

“Uh… well…. That’s kind of a problem, Carter.”

“What?”

Oh, she was angry. Jack grabbed the briefcase he had brought in and quickly shoved a tablet PC at her. “They tell me there’s some sort of… field… thing… blocking this place, and they can’t get the Asgard beam to work. They thought you could maybe help figure it out.”

Two hours later, Sam shut the tablet and handed it back to them. “Take them that. Maybe it’ll help.”

“Okay.” He shoved the tablet back in the briefcase and set it by the door, but didn’t leave.

“Um… sir? Bye,” she prompted.

He shook his head.

“What do you mean, no? The sooner they get that data, the sooner I can get the hell out of here! Sir,” she added belatedly.

“Right. But Carter… I didn’t exactly tell the guy that I knew you and was plotting your escape.”

“So?”

“So… you do know what kind of place this is, right?”

Her teeth clenched. “So?” she growled.

“So…” He checked his watch. “I paid a helluva lot more money than three hours would merit. He expects me to stay all night. And if I don’t… well, that might not reflect the best on you. And I don’t really want to think about what that might mean in his head.”

Defeated, her head fell to her chest. When she looked up, he could see the tears threatening. “I want to go home,” she said softly.

“Carter, I want that, too,” he answered, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “But there is an upside. As long as I’m here, you’re safe.”

After a long moment, she nodded.

“Good,” he said. “Then you should get some sleep. I can’t imagine it’s been particularly restful around here.”

He had a point, she thought. Sam slid down into the covers, grateful at least that the bed was fairly comfortable. Jack flipped off the light and settled slowly, painfully, onto the floor at her bedside.

“Sir?” she asked, rolling over to look at him.

“Yeah, Carter.”

“What are you doing?”

“Sleeping, Carter.”

“On the floor?”

“Yeah, Carter.”

“Why?” It wasn’t like they’d never shared close quarters before.

“Because I’m trying to be a gentleman, Carter,” he grumbled, getting annoyed.

“Um, sir?”

“Yeah, Carter.” Yep, he was officially annoyed.

“Well, first off… it seems dumb to sleep on a wood floor when there’s a bed and a pillow.”

He was silent a long time, his face hard to read in the dim light. “I didn’t want to crowd you,” he said softly after a moment. “You’ve probably been… crowded… enough.”

She smiled at that. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, there was a sweet, sweet man in there. “Okay, but second… if Sileem should walk in and see you on the floor, I would think that would make him fairly suspicious. And that also might not work out well for me.”

Jack sat straight up, his face level with hers. “If that bastard should walk in, period, I’ll kill him. But if you insist.” With that, he pulled himself to his feet and vaulted over her, landing with a bounce on the other side of the bed. Yanking off his boots and his shirt, he snuggled eagerly under the covers. “Night, Carter.”

“Night, sir.”

  
  


~/~

  
  


Jack wanted to get out of bed. This mattress wasn’t nearly as comfortable as his – although, he imagined, comfort wasn’t really its purpose – but his back was complaining and one leg was asleep. He really, really wanted to get out of bed.

But there was a small problem. Carter was sprawled on top of him, fast asleep, her head on his shoulder and one arm thrown across his chest. Nothing in the world could make him move. Try as she had to hide it, he knew she hadn’t been sleeping well since long before they left Earth.

He lay there, watching her in the pale light from the window for what seemed like hours before she finally stirred. She mumbled a little in her sleep and shifted, running her hand down his chest to his stomach. He bit back a groan, but couldn’t stop how the muscles tensed under her hand.

And then, as if someone had flipped a switch, she remembered where she was and started awake, whipping her face up to his. “Hey, easy,” he said, putting a gentle hand on her arm.

She blinked. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“Because you were dead to the world. You needed it, Carter.”

Dragging a hand across her face, she rolled away from him and sat up. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

“Don’t worry about it. But now that you’re up, I’m gonna head back to Prometheus. If that’s okay.”

The idea of him leaving roused a panic deep inside her, but she shoved it down. He had to. “Uh, yeah,” she said, feigning more enthusiasm than she felt.

“Carter,” he said softly, drawing her eyes to his. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He rolled out of bed and redressed himself, then limped toward the door.

“Sir?”

“Leg’s asleep, Carter; it’s nothing.”

“That’s not what I meant, sir.”

“Yeah? What’s up?” He turned around and tried not to start in surprise that she had gotten out of bed and was standing next to him, lingerie and all.

“It’s just that… he’ll never believe I just gave in.”

“I know,” he answered, not sure what she was getting at.

“He’ll be pretty suspicious if I’m no different than yesterday.”

Understanding started to dawn, and he didn’t like it. “Your hands,” he insisted.

She shook her head. “I did that to myself.”

“Yeah, well, that’ll have to do.”

“Sir… you know damn well that I shouldn’t have escaped last night mark-free.”

“What the hell do you want me to do, Carter?” he asked, exasperated.

“Hit me.”

The request was simple, but it sent Jack reeling. “No!”

“Sir, you have to.”

“No. I won’t. I… I can’t.”

She touched his cheek. “Please, sir. It has to look real, or you may never make it back.”

“Ah, dammit…”

Bracing herself against the wall, she grabbed his hand. “Make it count – I don’t want to do this twice.”

“I don’t want to do it at all!” he growled, but steeled himself. He closed his eyes for a long, long moment, dreading what he was about to do, then whipped a hand across her face.

Sam grunted at the impact and gingerly touched her face. Her upper lip was split, her nose bleeding. “Good.”

Now Jack was the one supporting himself with the wall, not looking at her. “Don’t ever ask me to do that again,” he whispered. He hated himself. “I’ll be back.”

When she looked up, he was gone. Sam retreated into the quickly into the bathroom and tore the bandages off her wrists before climbing into the tub. Swiftly, she broke the waistband of the underwear and put several tears in the rest of her clothes, then turned their sorry excuse for a shower on cold and sat in it.

By the time the woman came for her, she looked like hell.

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Sileem hurried to greet Jack – his highest-paying client – the moment he walked through the door. “Welcome back, Colonel,” he ingratiated. “How was your day?”

“Dull,” he snapped. “Same room?”

“Of course, and she’s quite ready for you.”

Oh, Jack wanted to punch the man, but kept walking. “Good.”

“What is that, if I may ask?” Sileem pointed to the box he carried.

“Dinner.” Damn, he wished the idiot would take the hint and shut up.

“Uh, Colonel… with all due respect, that isn’t necessary. You don’t need to seduce her.”

Jack spun to face the man, annoyed that he couldn’t fling him to the ground and beat the crap out of him right then and there. “It’s a fine art,” he growled. “You wouldn’t understand. And since you’re paid, you don’t have to.” He stepped into the room where they held Sam and slammed the door in Sileem’s face.

Sam was just as she’d been the day before, secured to the bed. Thankfully, they’d left off the gag and blindfold, though he could see them sitting ready on the nightstand. The lingerie was a powdery lavender. He approved, and raised a suggestive eyebrow at her.

“Sir,” she warned, nonplussed.

Giving a chuckle, he pulled out the access card and waved it over the restraint device, releasing her. She immediately covered herself with the sheet. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“They didn’t touch you.”

“No. I’m fine.”

He tipped her chin up to see her swollen nose and fat lip and cringed. “I brought dinner.”

“Oh, I’m starving.” Sam cracked open the box and immediately began devouring something that vaguely resembled fried chicken.

“Tasty?”

“Don’t care.” She demolished her half of the dinner and started on his quickly enough to make him snicker.

“Don’t eat too much, Carter; you’ll pop a…” he looked up and down what she was wearing, “string.”

“I’ll pop you,” she threatened idly, grabbing his dessert. “I haven’t had a decent meal in two days.”

“I figured.”

She finished up and looked at him expectantly. “And by the fact that you brought me dinner, I’m guessing my research didn’t work? No magic beam?”

“No, no magic beam. Yet. But.” He whipped a radio out of his briefcase and switched it on. “Prometheus, this is O’Neill.”

“Jack?” Jacob Carter’s voice sounded more than concerned. “How’s Sam?”

Sam took the radio from her CO. “I’m fine, Dad. Just had dinner.”

“You doing okay, kiddo?”

“Yeah, Dad. With the colonel here, I’m fine. I promise.”

“Okay. Let’s get this thing figured out.”

Sam spent the next several hours debating technobabble with her father and the other engineers as Jack tried his best to tune them out, only stepping in to replace the batteries when the radio started to chirp. Five hours later, they were no further along than when they had started.

Jack, at that point, stepped in. “Jacob, Sam should get some sleep. She needs to keep up her strength here.”

“You said she was okay, Jack,” the man threatened.

“She is. For now. But you and I both know that could change in a second.”

Jacob and Sam grudgingly accepted that. The engineers insisted work would continue while they slept, and so they signed off.

“It’s so frustrating,” Sam mumbled at Jack as she slid further under the covers. “But at least we eliminated a lot of possibilities.”

“You’ll figure it out, Carter. And if you don’t, I’ll find another way,” he promised.

She smiled at him, then rolled over and tried to sleep.

  
  


~/~

  
  


“Jack?”

Colonel O’Neill mumbled something unkind in his sleep and snuggled closer to the deliciously warm woman beside him. Her smooth back was pressed tightly against his chest, one of his arms under her head and the other unconsciously caressing her stomach. There hadn’t been soft skin and satin like this in his arms for years.

“Jack, answer me,” the man’s voice insisted.

“Go ‘way.” He nuzzled deeper into her silky hair and pressed his lips to the back of her delicate neck. She moaned softly in her sleep and pressed against him.

“Jack. Sammy, are you okay?”

He felt her inhale as she woke. Good, now maybe they could –

“Sir,” she said softly.

Holy crap, he was in bed with Carter. It took a long moment for the daze to clear and to remember where he was.

“Somebody answer this goddamn radio before I come down there and find you.”

Jack chuckled. The look on Jacob’s face would be priceless. Then Sam stretched in his arms, touching very, uh, delicate places, and he had to roll away before… well, just before. He pulled his arm gently out from under her head and reached down to grab the radio.

“Jacob, calm down. Everything’s fine.”

Sam rolled over and looked up at him, blinking, her eyes still clouded with sleep. Talk about bedroom eyes, Jack thought. Damn. “You leaving?”

“Not just yet,” he soothed.

“Jack, I was worried about you,” Jacob insisted. “Where are you?”

Oh, he couldn’t help it. The good angel on his shoulder was screaming at him, but Jacob had left that too wide open not to take. “Exactly where I’m supposed to be, Jacob. In bed with your daughter.”

Well, Sam was wide awake now. She sat bolt upright and put her head in her hands. “You did not just say that to my father,” she moaned.

“Oh, come on. Did you hear that setup?”

“I heard.”

Jacob’s tense voice finally sounded through the radio again. “You don’t value your life much, do you, Jack?”

He was trying to be threatening, but the sound of Daniel (and some of the crew) laughing hysterically in the background sort of negated the effect. He felt a little bad for them – they had to be getting the evil flashing eyes look.

Sam grabbed the radio from his hand. “Any update on the field, Dad?”

“No, Sammy. But the man who kidnapped you carried a beacon in his clothing that prevented us from getting a lock, much like now. We’re studying it, hoping it will tell us something. Maybe we can send Colonel O’Neill back with a beacon that will counteract it.”

“He called me by my title,” Jack mused. “Uh-oh.”

“That’s because he’s pissed at you, sir,” Sam explained, as though speaking to a young child. She picked the radio up again. “Sounds good, Dad. If you need help, please, just ask.”

“Getting bored down there, Sam? And by that, I mean you’d better not be doing anything to keep yourselves entertained.”

Jack stole the radio back. “Uh… oh, can’t talk right now Jacob. We’re busy.”

“Jack O’Neill, if you lay one hand on her, I swear to God-“

He shut the radio off, and even Sam couldn’t help but smile. “He’s gonna kill you; you know that.”

“But it would be a funny, funny death, Carter.” He touched her cheek, and his face turned serious. “You gonna be okay here?”

She shrugged. “I hope.”

“Do you want me to leave the radio? Just in case?”

“No. They’d find it.”

He really wanted to ask her what happened when he was wasn’t there, but he was afraid he didn’t want to know the answer. “Okay,” he said softly. “Be careful.”

She nodded, and thankfully, before she started to cry, he was gone.

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

“Come on, guys,” O’Neill spat at the engineers. “There has to be a way to do this.”

“We’re trying, sir,” one of them answered. “We’ve gotten a device to boost the signal a bit, but it doesn’t seem to be enough. When you take it down to Major Carter tonight, we’ll work with it more.”

“If you can even find it,” he snapped.

“Sir… I promise you that we want her back as much as you do.” He glanced from the colonel’s face to Daniel’s, then Teal’c’s, and finally Jacob’s. They were nonplussed. “Okay, maybe not quite as much, but we’re doing the best we can.”

“Do better,” he threatened softly before storming out of the room, entourage in tow.

“Jack,” Daniel spoke up as they entered the mess hall, “How is she? Really?”

“She’s really okay, Daniel. But every minute she’s there alone, she’s in danger. This Sileem… I don’t trust him. Not even a little bit.”

“I wish you’d never told him you were there on business. That you’d have to leave.”

“I know. We didn’t quite think that one through.”

“She must be terrified,” Jacob said softly.

Jack wrapped a solid arm around their shoulders. “Carter is the strongest woman I’ve ever met. She’ll get through this.”

  
  


~/~

  
  


Every minute alone in that place cut a year off her life expectancy; Sam was sure of it. All the muscles in her body lived in a state of constant tension while the colonel was gone. Her heart pounded, and she was sure her blood pressure was through the roof. She really, really wanted out.

Even in the shower she wasn’t safe. No, she amended, especially in the shower. There was a door (without a lock) to the bathroom, but nothing even resembling a curtain. It seemed… open… and evil, somehow. But she still relished the hot water; every day, it washed away a few more moments of her time in the basement. She would stay until the woman who tended her knocked on the door.

But this day was different. The door flew open and Sileem stood there, watching her, a smirk on his face. She grabbed for a towel, but nothing seemed quick enough to stop his eyes. “Time to get out,” he announced.

She carefully tied the now-wet towel around herself and turned the water off. She didn’t want to step closer to him, but that was the only way out of the tub.

She wasn’t fast enough, and he stepped up and yanked her to him. He put his face in her shoulder and took a deep breath. “Nice.”

Sileem watched her this time as the older woman dried and combed out her hair and put the usual makeup on her face. She wondered offhand if this happened to all the girls, but she had never spoken to the woman. When she was done, she left the room, leaving Carter and Sileem alone.

God, Sam hated him.

He held out a new set of lingerie, navy blue this time. “Get dressed,” he ordered.

“Get out,” she countered.

She hadn’t even noticed that he carried the stick weapon, but it was immediately out and jabbed into her bare, still damp shoulder. The pain was excruciating, far worse than before, and she screamed as she fell to the floor.

He threw the lingerie on the floor beside her and repeated simply, “Get dressed.”

Using her best Girl Scout camp technique, she tried to put the clothes on under the towel without revealing anything – much, anyway – but the tight-fitting clothes and inability to use her left arm at the moment made it very, very difficult.

She more than hated him. She wanted to kill him.

When she was done, he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her to the bed, wrenching her arms up to tie them to the headboard again. The pain in her shoulder was terrible.

“You’ve been doing quite well, you know. It makes me wonder what’s beneath this nasty little front you put on.”

“Nothing for you,” she gasped. She knew she shouldn’t incite the man, but she couldn’t help it.

The weapon found the bare skin above her hip and she cried out, but that pain was quickly replaced by another – he had grabbed her breast and was squeezing it hard.

“What did I tell you about the hand that feeds you?” he breathed into her ear.

She turned her face away. After a long, painful moment, he let her go and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

She wanted more than just to see him dead. She wanted to dance on his bloody, rotting corpse.

  
  


~/~

  
  


The first thing Jack noticed when he stepped into the room was that Sam didn’t look up, bright-eyed and eager like the day before. In fact, her eyes stayed closed. Her skin was ashen, her body still.

“Carter?” He rushed to the bed and touched her face, trying desperately to wake her. When her eyes opened, they were dull and unfocused. It frightened him. “Carter, you in there?” he said softly, putting his face close to hers.

“Yes, sir,” she answered weakly. “My hands.”

“Right.” He released the device quickly, but didn’t miss the flinch as she brought her arms down. For the first time, he noticed an angry black mark on her left shoulder. A burn? There was another, not as bad, just above her hip. “Carter, what happened?”

She rolled away from him and pushed herself up on her elbow. “Nothing. I’m okay.”

As much as he wanted to fight her on that, she clearly didn’t want to talk about it. “I, uh… brought dinner,” he offered her back.

She straightened a little and finally turned to look at him. Some of the color had come back to her face, but not enough. “Thank you, sir, but I’m not very hungry.” The smile she gave him was clearly fake.

“Maybe later, then.” He put a hand to her cheek and opened his mouth before he could stop himself. “I’m gonna kill him, Carter.”

She shook her head. “I pretty sure I get dibs on that, sir.”

  
  


~/~

  
  


The two hardly spoke for the rest of the night. The beacon, of course, hadn’t worked, and Sam had spent a little while on the radio with Jacob and the technicians. Jacob had noticed the change in her voice and questioned her on it until Jack had taken the radio and told him fairly vehemently not to push the issue.

He had finally gotten her to eat a bit. That was a plus, at least. But when the sun hit the perfect spot in the sky, he noticed for the first time bruising forming around the top of the slinky top she wore, and he had to look away. She hadn’t quite met his eyes since.

She was clearly exhausted, and so it was early when she settled in for the night. Jack started to climb in next to her, but thought better of it. “Carter,” he offered, “I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“No,” she said softly.

“Okay.” He crawled carefully into bed, trying not to disturb her, but was surprised when she rolled toward him, pressing her face into his bare chest. Jack hoped she couldn’t feel his heart breaking underneath the skin. He put a gentle arm around her and rubbed her back. “It’s okay, Carter,” he murmured. “I’m here. It’s okay.”

  
  


~/~

  
  


Jack only got a few hours sleep that night. He stayed awake long after Sam’s eyes closed, wishing he knew of some way to take her pain away. Sadly, he knew that even killing the man who inflicted it wouldn’t really make it better.

Sam woke up violently in the middle of the night, only a few hours after Jack had fallen asleep. He held her, rocked her, spoke softly to her until the shaking subsided and she fell back to a fitful sleep. She hadn’t cried – Carter never cried. He almost wished she would.

He spent the rest of the night holding the blankets tightly around her, swaddling her like a small child. It seemed to help, and though she twitched and groaned in her sleep, she didn’t wake until well after the sun came up.

There wasn’t much to say. Once she was really awake, he took the beacon and gathered his things together. “I’ll be back soon,” he promised. He made it almost to the door before she spoke.

“Don’t go.”

When he turned around, she was hanging her head, ashamed to have even made such a request. He sat back down on the bed next to her and took her hand. “I don’t want to,” he said softly. “I need to take this beacon back to Prometheus and then I’ll be back. It’ll only be an hour or two. I promise.”

He watched her silently as she shored up her courage and nodded her head.

“I’ll be back soon,” he said again, and he left.

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

Carter watched a tiny black speck of a bug make its way across the ceiling that she now officially knew as well as the back of her hand – not that she’d seen the back of her hand lately, she thought as she laid on her back on the bed, waiting for the colonel to return. She sighed. This was not how she had envisioned spending her week.

The woman had been in early this time, and she was cleaned up and restrained again in record time. She wondered what that was about, but at least Sileem hadn’t insisted on watching this time. Maybe the colonel had told him he’d be back sooner than usual.

The door latch clicked, and her heart jumped. Finally, freedom! And even quicker than he’d promised. But the colonel didn’t say anything this time, for a long time, and she raised her head to glance across the room at him.

It wasn’t Jack. Sileem stood in the doorway, staring at her a bit too closely. Seeing her look up, a grin spread across his face. “Well, now,” he said softly, “I think it’s time for me to see what the fuss is all about.”

“Oh, crap,” Carter whispered, every muscle in her body tensing. This was very, very bad. She pulled on her restraints, knowing they wouldn’t give but having to at least try, then turned her hips to replay the same fight she’d had with the colonel that first day. Sileem never saw it coming, and the first kick drove him back to the wall. “You stay away from me,” she warned.

“I don’t think so,” he spat back. “Don’t forget who owns you.” He came at her again and managed to parry the first kick, but the second caught him squarely in the groin and dropped him with a strangled cry.

“No one owns me,” she growled.

He stayed on the floor for a long time, curled into the injury, but when he stood, he had the stick weapon in his hand. “You will pay for that.”

Carter tried desperately to shove down the panic and think as he approached her. Where the hell was the colonel? Sileem stepped within range and she kicked at him again, but cried out in pain as the weapon touched her calf. Panicked, she tried again, and Sileem dropped below the kick, along the floor, out of her reach.

Before she could react, he popped up right next to her. The hand now held a knife, which cut along her cheek as he shoved it quickly at her throat and left it there. She froze. “Are you feeling more cooperative now?” he asked, pressing down just enough to make it painful.

“Don’t… please,” she whispered, fighting hard against the bile rising in her throat.

Ignoring her, he shoved her knees open with his free hand and crawled between them, the knife never leaving her neck. “You’d better be worth it,” he growled, shoving hard up against her.

Sam cried out in pain and closed her eyes against what was coming. She could feel him unbuttoning his pants and she started to silently pray, her pulse pounding against the sharp knife at her neck.

And then he was gone, ripped away amidst angry shouting and banging. She lifted her head and could just barely see Colonel O’Neill’s back as the two men scuffled on the floor. The colonel was clearly winning, throwing punches repeatedly at the man below him. After several good hits, he picked him up and shoved him against the wall, the bloody knife now at Sileem’s neck.

“We had an agreement,” the colonel seethed. “A contract. And you just broke it.”

“I didn’t – I just…” the man stuttered.

“Shut up and listen. I paid you good money for this week to be the only one in this room. I promise you that if I leave this building angry, I will spread the word to every man in the galaxy that you cheat your customers. You’ll be out of business in a month.”

“No, no, don’t do that. Surely we can work something out,” Sileem pleaded. “Stay… as long as you like. On me. I’ll even refund you the rest of this week.”

“You’ll do more than that. I told you I was picky, and I found what I wanted. I intended to return to you because of her, but somehow I get the feeling if I leave her with you, I won’t want her when I get back, huh?”

“I… No, I…”

“Yesterday you hurt her. No energy at all. Kind of defeated the purpose, don’t you think?”

“I, uh…”

“And now you’ve cut her. Ruined a pretty face.”

“I’m sorry!”

“I don’t give a damn about sorry. I find the best of the bunch; I even give you a second chance, and you try your damndest to ruin her. So I’m taking her with me.”

Sileem blinked. “What?”

“You heard me. I’m buying her. Cheap.”

“I – I mean, I don’t…”

Jack pressed a little harder with the knife.

“Of course,” the man hissed, and the colonel let the knife relax. “We can discuss the details in the morning, yes?”

“Fine,” Jack growled, shoving him toward the door. “I want a first aid kit in my hands in the next two minutes, and then I want you gone.”

Sam had pushed herself up to kneeling during the exchange, her hands still awkwardly attached to the bottom of the headboard, and she watched the colonel gingerly as Sileem disappeared for a moment, returned and shoved a box into Jack’s hands, then left for good.

Colonel O’Neill didn’t turn around. Nor was he breathing fast from the fight, as Sam was. He just stood there, back ramrod straight, every muscle tight. Angry. No, homicidal. And he was using every ounce of energy he possessed not to run after Sileem and beat him into the next life. She had never, ever seen him quite this upset.

As much as Carter wanted to throw herself face down on the bed and cry for the next two hours, her training (and her restraints) wouldn’t let her. Shoving her feelings down as far as possible, she tried to de-escalate the tension. “Sir,” she said softly, “I’m okay.”

He didn’t move, didn’t react. Her words hung in the air for what seemed like hours before he spoke. “He could have killed you. He could have….” He couldn’t even finish that thought.

“Sir, you’re doing everything you can.”

“It’s not enough!” he roared, spinning to face her. He immediately regretted his anger when she flinched – she was the victim, after all. And, he realized, she was still restrained. He cursed shortly and marched over to release her hands.

“Thanks,” she murmured, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. He set the first aid kit down next to her and set about cleaning her wounds. She flinched at the sting, and he pulled back, avoiding her eyes. He hated seeing her in pain.

“Carter.” He desperately didn’t want to ask this question. “I have to know. Yesterday, when you were…. Did he…”

She shook her head. “No.”

Relief slammed into him, and he let his head drop to his chest, taking her hands in his. “I thought…”

“Sir,” she said softly, waiting for him to look at her before she continued. “It’s gonna be okay.”

To her surprise, he chuckled. “Carter… I think that’s my line.”

  
  


~/~

  
  


Of all the things that creep had taken from her, her ability to sleep was the worst. Jack had finally gotten her to sleep through the night – twice – and the son of a bitch took it away. Now she mumbled incoherently in her sleep, restless, anxious.

He hated it.

Sam snapped awake suddenly. Luckily, she was facing him, and she locked eyes with him almost immediately.

“You’re okay,” he soothed, reaching out to touch her face.

“Thanks,” she mumbled. Rolling onto her back, she stared blankly at the ceiling. It would be hours before she slept again.

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

Sam and Jack were already wide awake when someone knocked on the door. “Wait,” Jack yelled curtly, not that he thought Sileem would dare barge in on them after the beating he’d taken. He climbed out of bed and opened the door a crack, still barefoot and shirtless. “Morning,” he said, and let Teal’c into the room.

“Samantha Carter,” he greeted. “It is very good to see you well.”

“Teal’c’s here to watch you while I deal with Sileem. Just in case.”

“Thanks, Teal’c.” She didn’t move to greet him, still keeping her lap covered by the sheet.

Concern crossed his face. “Can you not walk, Samantha Carter?”

“I’m okay, Teal’c,” she said with a weak smile. “They just… don’t give a girl much to wear around here.”

He raised an eyebrow as if noticing her outfit for the first time, then pulled off his jacket and handed it to her. She gratefully accepted and zipped it up, now completely covered from her shoulders to her knees.

“Now, why the hell didn’t I think of that?” Colonel O’Neill slapped his own forehead dramatically.

“I have my suspicions, O’Neill,” the man intoned, and even Sam had to smile.

“Hey, I didn’t see you asking for it, either,” the colonel defended, and the smile grew a little. Satisfied, he quickly yanked his clothes on. “I’ll be back, and then we’re getting out of here.”

  
  


~/~

  
  


Jack ushered Sam out of the alleys and onto a broad plaza, heading toward the transporter platform. “We just have to clear that field thingy before they can get us out of here. Just a few more blocks.”

Sam nodded, grateful that Jack had gotten her clothes back so she wouldn’t be beaming up to Prometheus in lingerie.

“Colonel O’Neill,” Colonel Pendergast’s voice sounded through the radio.

“Good news only, please,” the colonel answered.

“Sorry, Jack, I can’t do that. A group of five men have been following you since you left the compound.”

They kept walking, but Teal’c pulled up a little closer behind them.

“How far behind us?”

“They should intercept you just about at the edge of the field. We’ll get you out as soon as you’re clear.”

“Sir.” Carter’s tone caught Jack’s attention, and he glanced at her. Her jaw was set. “That man deserves the worst possible fate. I left peacefully, by diplomatic means, but I will not run if he chases.”

“What does that mean, exactly?”

“Don’t you dare beam me out of here.”

He stopped short, well aware of the men on his tail. “You have a better idea?”

“Yeah, sir. Give me a gun.”

Well, that was a bad idea. But Jack keyed his radio anyway. “Colonel, we’re gonna need a little assistance down here. We’re not running.”

“Acknowledged.”

Jack stole Teal’c’s zat gun and handed it to her, but she shot him a disdainful look. “I don’t want that one, sir,” she said petulantly. “I want that one.” She pointed at his side arm.

This idea seemed worse and worse, but Jack was willing to let her work through this how she needed to. He traded her weapons, and Teal’c readied his staff.

“Colonel O’Neill,” a familiar, slimy voice spoke up from behind them. They turned to see Sileem and four thugs standing behind them. The thugs held their weapons at ready. “I’m afraid there’s a problem. I can’t let you walk away with one of my girls.”

A flash of light out of the corner of his eye put a smile across Jack’s face. “And I’m afraid you can’t stop me.”

Daniel, Jacob, and four more men stepped up behind them, weapons at the ready.

“Now, fellas, I’d really like you to put your weapons down.”

Clearly outgunned, the four looked at each other and gently placed their weapons on the ground.

“That enough, Carter?” Jack asked. “We won.”

She was staring at Sileem with an odd, questioning look on her face. Without a word, she began a slow, predatory approach.

As soon as she was out of his reach, Jack regretted not grabbing her, but it was too late.

“Sam,” Daniel spoke up, “killing him won’t solve anything.”

“But it might make me feel better.” Oddly, that wasn’t from Sam, but from Jacob. Daniel shot him a dirty look.

“Oh, I don’t intend to kill him, Daniel,” she answered softly, never breaking eye contact with Sileem. “But he was given an order that he didn’t follow.”

He sneered at her.

“I know you have it,” she accused, stepping into his personal space. “I’ll make you a deal. A draw.” She stuck Jack’s sidearm in the back waistband of her pants. “See? Now we’re on a completely even playing field.”

“Sam, before this goes too far…” Daniel started.

“Shut up, Daniel,” she said absently.

“Your men would shoot me.”

She shook her head. “Oh, no. This is between you and me. What are you, nervous? Now that we’re on an even field?”

Angrily, his hand twitched and moved for his weapon. To Jack’s surprise, Sam didn’t even reach for the weapon. Instead, she sucker punched the man while his hands were behind his back. When he bent over with a gasp, she grabbed him by the shoulders and rammed a knee squarely between his legs.

Every man in the vicinity, even Teal’c, fidgeted uncomfortably. Sileem collapsed to the ground in a heap, his weapon rolling a few feet away.

Now Sam pulled out the gun.

“Sam!” Daniel yelled. “Don’t!”

She looked at Sileem thoughtfully for a moment, then put two bullets in the weapon he’d used on her so many times. “I would kill you,” she whispered to the man, “but I’m just too good a person, no matter how hard you tried to change that.”

With a smart about face, she returned to her CO. “Ready, sir.”

“Uh, actually, Sam, there’s something you should know first,” Daniel spoke up.

“Before I can go home?”

“While you can still see his face.”

She looked at him quizzically for a moment, then turned back to the man on the ground as Daniel spoke.

“See, we weren’t really sure about the local laws, since we hightailed it off the other planet when they took you, but it turns these five planets are a protectorate run by… a UN, of sorts.”

“Get to point, Daniel.” Sam’s frustration was clear.

“While Jack was dealing with you, we were dealing with them. Human trafficking is illegal here, just like at home. And so, while we’ve got Sileem and four of his thugs occupied, they’re raiding the bordello. It’s all over for him. We’ll stay until they get here to collect these guys.”

Sileem and his thugs looked shell-shocked.

Sam started to laugh. “You lucky bastard,” she told him.

He looked at her like she’d lost her mind.

“I took it easy on you.” She gestured toward his crotch, which he still held painfully. “I almost cut them off.”

Chuckling, Jack put a hand on her back and had the two of them beamed back to the ship.

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

They had cancelled the remaining stops since Sam’s kidnapping at Colonel O’Neill’s request, and in hyperspace, they’d made good time.

Her first night back on Prometheus had been ridiculously normal. Exaggerated tales of Sam’s attack on Sileem had flooded the ship, and the crew was welcoming her back enthusiastically, with hugs and claps on the shoulder. No one mentioned the less glorious aspects of her time away, and the medics had dealt only with her physical injuries.

She hadn’t mentioned to anyone that all she wanted was not to be touched.

Colonel Pendergast had at least moved her to one of the VIP quarters. She’d been grateful at the time, but hours later, lying in bed alone, she had wondered if the company of the other women on ship might have been nice. She sure couldn’t sleep alone.

If she’d been on Earth, she would have wanted to go to the colonel’s house, she knew. But here, he bunked with nineteen other men. Even if she’d given in, there was no one to turn to.

She had finally put her uniform back on and headed down to the science lab to tinker. After a few hours, one of the night shift engineers had finally spoken up. “Shouldn’t you be asleep, ma’am?”

“I like this shift. It’s quiet.” She’d looked up to see Colonel O’Neill standing just inside the door. Good thing it wasn’t against regs to lie to a subordinate.

He had continued to check in on her for the next few nights as she’d worked around the clock, never sleeping more than an hour or two at a time.

It had been the fifth day when she’d finally been too tired to focus her eyes on her work. She’d retreated to the mess hall and sat there, alone, staring at the matter stream out the window.

Within twenty minutes, he’d been by her side. They’d sat in silence for hours.

“Carter,” he’d finally said, “I wish….”

That they’d never stopped on that damn planet? That he could hold her like he had? That the stupid, stupid regs didn’t always get in the way?

She hadn’t quite known what he meant, but there had been only one answer. “Me, too, sir.” And she’d meant it.

He had reached over to where her hand sat between them and twisted their fingers together.

The trip had continued that way. She floated from place to place, never really holding down a task or a conversation. But in the worst of times, she went back to the mess hall, knowing that he’d find her there.

  
  


~/~

  
  


Finally, blissfully, SG-1 sat in the briefing room at the SGC with Jacob and General Hammond. With so many reports to go through, it had been the longest briefing in the team’s history.

The chairs were a little too comfortable, and Teal’c kept nudging Sam as her chin dropped. General Hammond looked concerned, but didn’t call her out on it.

The last item of business was her foray with Sileem. It was then, Jack thought, that Hammond began to understand Carter’s state of mind. “Major,” he said gently as they wrapped up, “There will be a counselor at your disposal.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said.

It was routine by now. He would offer; they would politely refuse. “I would encourage you to consider it, Major,” he pressed gently.

“Me, too,” Jack spoke up.

Every head in the room snapped to look at him. That was not part of the routine.

“I’m fine, sir,” Sam insisted, though the circles under her eyes clearly belied that fact.

“I think you should talk to someone.”

She made a sound in disbelief, anger bubbling up in her throat at his betrayal. Surely, she thought, she was no worse than her CO. “I will if you will,” she spat self-righteously.

He didn’t break eye contact. “If that’s what it takes,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Her jaw dropped. “You’re serious.” When he said nothing, she shot to her feet. “Sir, I’m fine!”

“You are not fine!” he barked back, instantly on his feet. But he wasn’t really angry at her, and he rubbed a hand over his face. When he spoke again, his voice was soft. “None of us are fine, Carter. We have done things and seen things that should break anyone, and we just put it off and say that we’re fine.

“We are all standing at the top of a slippery slope, Carter, and if one of us doesn’t do something, there won’t be anyone left to hold the rest of us up. And I can’t watch this team fall apart. I just can’t.”

The room was deadly silent as the two stared at each other, both equally shocked by what the colonel had just said. Sam’s jaw moved, but she couldn’t speak.

“I don’t care who, Carter,” he whispered. “If you’ll talk to a shrink, fine. Or your dad, or us… but please. Do something before you fall apart for good.”

She pressed her lips together and fell back into her seat, shaken. “Okay.”

After a long moment, the general tapped his papers straight on the table. “I think we’re done here.”

Jack sank slowly down to his chair as the other members of his team stood and left, the two men crowded close behind Sam. General Hammond and Jacob stood, but didn’t leave.

“Colonel,” Hammond spoke up.

“Yes, sir.” It was more a sigh than anything.

“I’m proud of you, son.”

Jack couldn’t answer. He put his head in his hands and stayed there until long after the other two were gone.

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

“Who the hell chose this movie?” Jack yelled at no one in particular, screwing his eyes shut against the vision of Patrick Swayze in tight pants.

“It is an American Classic, O’Neill,” Teal’c intoned. “One that I have never seen.”

“You’re always telling him to expand his cultural experiences,” Sam smiled.

‘Dirty Dancing’ hadn’t quite been what he had in mind. He turned on her in fake aggravation. “I blame you for this.”

“Me? And how’s that?”

“This is a chick flick! And you, Carter, are the only chick I see.”

She leapt to her feet, feigning anger, but the grin on her face belied it. “Chick? I’ve been downgraded to ‘chick’? And this mere months after you bought me for, and I quote, ‘cheap’. What the hell, sir? What the hell.”

Jack grinned. “Oh, yeah. I’d forgotten about that.”

Daniel looked at him as if scandalized. “Cheap, Jack? How could you? This woman is not cheap!”

“Thank you, Daniel!”

“Damn, I need another beer. Between you two and Patrick Swayze, there is way too much estrogen in this room,” Jack moaned.

Teal’c flipped him another bottle.

“In fact, Jack,” Daniel continued, “she’s the one thing I can’t get enough of.”

Jack clearly didn’t get the reference, but Sam practically doubled over laughing at the lyrics. Daniel, to his credit, kept a perfectly straight face.

“So I’ll tell you something, Jack – this could be love. Because-”

The archaeologist grabbed Sam as he broke into the chorus of “The Time of My Life” and started dancing around Jack’s living room. The two caused a terrible ruckus – Daniel’s bad singing and Sam’s gleeful laughter.

It was the greatest thing Jack had seen in months. Whatever her counselor was telling her, it was working. She looked healthy again, and with her vibrance back, the whole team felt lifted.

Daniel stepped back, pretending now to sing into his beer bottle, and Sam pulled Jack off the couch. He grinned. He had always told Daniel that he could outdance him, and now he proved it, spinning her around the room. Her laughter was intoxicating.

And with every swing, every turn, Jack was more solid in his newfound belief – SG-1 was gonna be just fine.


End file.
